The present invention relates to a machine tool holder, which may be associated with a machine tool turret, having an automatic power hook-up with the machine tool.
When setting up a tool holder on a machine tool, it is frequently necessary to hook-up a device mounted on the tool holder to a connector mounted on the machine tool which may supply electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic power to the tool holder. The connection between the machine tool and the tool holder transmits electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic power to the tool so that various tool functions may be carried out. Generally, these hook-ups require separate operations manually carried out by the machine tool operator, thereby lengthening the set up time and introducing the possibility of incomplete or incorrect hook-up resulting in improper operation of the tool.
A known tool holder mounting is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As illustrated, the machine tool 1 defines an opening into which is inserted the mounting stud for the tool holder 2. A gripping slider 3 is movably attached to the machine tool 1 such that, when in the position shown in FIG. 1, it is expanded so as to facilitate the insertion of the mounting stud of the tool holder 2.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, movement of the gripping slider 3 in the direction of arrow 4 causes the angled surfaces 5 and 6 to slide against one another, thereby urging the flange 8 into contact with the surface 9 of flange 7 formed on the mounting stud. Further movement of the gripping slider 3 pulls the stud and the tool holder 2 towards the machine tool 1 in the direction of arrow 4 until teeth 10 on the tool holder 2 are in engagement with the teeth 11 formed on the machine tool 1. This engagement locks the tool holder 2 into its proper position on the machine tool 1.